The Pool Guy Podcast Show

Your pool pH keeps climbing, you add “the right” amount of acid, and nothing changes. That’s not always a mystery problem, it’s often a measurement problem. We walk through what muriatic acid strength really means, how Baumé ties to concentration, and why the same dose can work perfectly with 31.45% pool-grade acid but fall flat with weaker big-box products. If you’ve ever wondered why your pH won...

Pool chemistry gets called “simple” right up until a clear pool turns milky, a filter pressure gauge shoots up, or a perfectly good cartridge comes out feeling like it turned to stone. We move fast through the most common chemical misconceptions we see in the pool industry and explain the real reactions underneath, so you can prevent damage instead of explaining it after the fact. We start with cy...

Your pool route doesn’t fall apart because you “forgot something big.” It falls apart because you didn’t have the small, everyday essentials when a simple problem showed up at the worst possible stop. We break down what we keep on a pool service truck to stay fast, consistent, and ready, whether you’re starting pool service for the first time or tightening up an established route.    We dig into t...

The heat doesn’t just make pool work uncomfortable, it changes the job. When the forecast locks in at 105 to 110 degrees, your energy drops, your patience gets thinner, and your risk of mistakes climbs. We break down how to approach extreme summer pool service like a system: protect your body first, then redesign the route and the work so you’re not fighting algae, vacuuming forever, or standing i...

A green pool can be the fastest way to add new customers or the easiest way to get burned. We walk through the decision making that separates a profitable green pool cleanup from a job that eats your time, chemicals, and patience, starting with the first question to ask on the phone: why did the pool turn green? That answer often reveals whether you are dealing with normal homeowner overwhelm, a r...

One wrong move with a tablet chlorinator can leave you coughing, gagging, and wondering what just hit you. We break down the Pentair Rainbow Chlorinator from a pool service pro’s point of view, including the safety habits that matter most when you open the lid and discover trichlor tablets that never fully dissolved. We talk through the two common setups you’ll see on equipment pads: the offline P...

The fastest way to level up as a pool service pro is to steal the little “route truths” that only show up after years in the field. We walk through Pool Guy knowledge volume four with practical pool maintenance tips that cut callbacks, reduce equipment failures, and save real time every week. We start at the skimmer because that’s where so many problems begin. Skimmer lids can hide surprises, incl...

Your pool finish isn’t just a color choice, it’s a long-term decision that affects durability, comfort, staining, and how forgiving your water chemistry will be. I walk through the most common pool surface types and explain what I see out in the field, including how regional trends shape what you’ll run into. If you’re shopping for a new build, planning a pool resurfacing project, or servicing poo...

Your pool equipment is probably not “broken” the setup is. We dig into the kind of questions that hit my inbox all the time and give the field-tested fixes that actually save you hours: why a Phoenix 4X or Hayward Aquanaut suction side cleaner keeps going sideways, what that says about balance and hose length, and the one adjustment that usually stops the problem immediately. Then we get into vari...

A pool system can look “broken” when it really just needs a reset, and that one detail can save you a ton of time on a route. We break down a field-proven troubleshooting habit that fixes a surprising number of problems: shutting off power to automation and pumps, waiting, and bringing systems back up clean. We talk through why older automation like Jandy Aqualink can act stuck, how sub-breakers i...

A packed pool route can feel like success until you realize there’s no room left to grow. We walk through a practical way to add high-demand pool services like green to clean, one-time cleanups, filter cleaning, and acid washes without sacrificing your evenings or giving up your weekends. The big idea is simple: extra services should create more weekly pool service accounts, not create burnout. We...

Salt cell replacement should be a quick fix, but the pricing and quality gap between OEM parts and online “generic” options can turn it into a costly decision. We break down how we think about saltwater chlorine generator choices when you are looking at the big names like Hayward, Pentair, and Jandy, and when it actually makes sense to consider an off brand system or an aftermarket replacement cel...

Your pool service route doesn’t have to feel like a daily sprint that ends in burnout. I walk through how I speed up a pool route the right way by protecting the golden rule: never move so fast that you sacrifice pool cleaning quality, water balance, or your business reputation. The real wins come from removing friction around the work, not cutting corners at the pool. We get practical on route ef...

Flat monthly pool service pricing sounds simple until trichlor tablets jump in cost, gas hits $6+ a gallon, and you realize you’re absorbing every surprise the market throws at you. I walk through a smarter, more flexible approach: tiered pool service packages that protect your profit while staying clear and fair for customers. If you’ve been hesitant to change your pool service rates, this is the...

Pool service looks like a water job, but it’s really a people job, and that’s where most new pool techs get blindsided. We break down the unglamorous realities of starting a pool cleaning business: the long hours working alone, the emotional grind of complaints, and the customer service skills you must build if you want to keep accounts and earn steady referrals. If you’ve been in pool service for...

If you’ve ever hesitated to recommend an automatic pool cleaner because you’re worried the customer will think you’re “not doing enough,” this conversation flips that mindset fast. I walk through why automatic cleaners don’t replace professional pool service, they remove the most time-consuming part of the visit so we can deliver better weekly pool maintenance: tighter chemistry, better brushing,...

You’re having a smooth route, then you open a gate and everything is wrong: no surface movement, debris sitting still, and water that looks like it hasn’t circulated in days. We break down how we troubleshoot a pool that’s not running without spiraling into guesswork, starting with the fastest visual clues and moving step-by-step through the equipment pad. If you service pools for a living, this i...

Some pool accounts don’t just take time, they take your peace. If you’ve ever pulled up to a stop and felt your stomach drop, there’s usually a reason: the customer is difficult, the pool is a nightmare to access, or the property is a leaf factory that turns every visit into a cleanup marathon. We break down the most common “bad fit” pool service accounts and how to spot them before they wreck you...

One missed step can turn a profitable pool route into a week of unpaid catch-up. I’m breaking down the “small stuff” that quietly costs pool service techs real money: getting pulled out of your routine, forgetting chlorine tablets or a planned shock, and then paying for it later with algae brushing, extra chemicals, and stressed-out stops. After 35 years in the pool industry, I’ve learned that con...

Chlorine tablets look simple: drop a few pucks in a floater or chlorinator and forget about it. But trichlor has rules, and if you don’t know them, you can end up chasing algae, fighting high stabilizer, or even staining a pool surface. I’m a long-time pool pro, and I walk through what trichlor tablets actually are, why they became so popular, and why “90% available chlorine” doesn’t mean they’re...

“Salt pool, no chlorine” might be the most expensive misunderstanding in pool care. We walk through what a saltwater chlorine generator actually does, why it is literally making chlorine, and how that simple truth changes the way you test, dose, and explain water balance to customers. If you’re a pool service professional or a hands-on pool owner, you’ll leave with clearer language, better trouble...

“Liquid chlorine is weak” might be the most expensive pool myth on the internet. We dig into the real meaning of “available chlorine” and why the percentage on the label can mislead you when you compare liquid chlorine to trichlor tablets, dichlor, or cal hypo. With Bob Lowry guiding the chemistry, we translate confusing terms like weight percent and trade percent into something you can actually u...

Zero chlorine is one of those pool problems that feels impossible because you can do everything “right” and still watch your sanitizer disappear. We dig into the real reasons it happens, especially after adding stain removers and sequestering agents meant to solve metal stains and protect surfaces.  From there, we get clear about metal chemistry and a common misconception in pool maintenance: a se...

Your hot tub can look crystal clear and still be one soak away from smelling “off.” We dig into the real reasons spa water goes sideways and what to do about it, starting with the question everyone asks: bromine vs chlorine. We talk through what bromine is great at in hot water, why bromamines don’t stink the way chloramines do, and the big catch that trips up most owners and techs: bromine disinf...

Your pool can be perfectly chlorinated and still feel like it’s fighting you every week, especially when pH keeps climbing for no obvious reason. We dig into one of the most useful “stability tools” in pool chemistry: borates. Along with industry expert Bob Lowry, we explain what it really means to add borates, why many pros treat them as a one-time addition, and how they help slow pH rise in pool...